Officials on hand for dedication of SRTA's new transportation center

When a federal official called the sprawling, brand-new transit authority building being dedicated Friday a stunning transformation “from a trailer to a treasure,” few could argue. An enthusiastic, packed crowd of about 200 invited guests attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the $5.2 mil...

Butler’s federal agency and other federal cash contributed the bulk of the funding for the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority center, as a community investment to keep regional transportation “desirable and reliable,” he said.

The center, named after the late Louis Pettine — who died in 2009, a year after he retired following a 23-year as SRTA's administrator — will open on July 1.

Fourteen regular bus routes use the Greater Fall River service, which 3,500 riders use daily to connect to New Bedford and Dartmouth, with Peter Pan providing separate daily bus service to Providence and Boston.

The upbeat and at times emotional ceremony heralded the partnership between local, state and federal government and individuals, with the highlight coming from the words of Susan Pettine, Louis Pettine's wife of 43 years.

“The Louis D. Pettine Transportation Center is a fitting tribute to the man who cared about SRTA and the people who depend upon SRTA service, mainly the children, the elderly, the poor and handicapped,” Susan Pettine said.

Joined by her two grown children and extended family, Susan Pettine — a retired Laurel Lake Elementary School teacher — was visibly moved as she spoke of how her late husband would feel seeing this milestone reached.

“He would be honored to be so respected and well-thought-of by his colleagues and friends,” she said. She received a standing ovation.

“It would have been a better day if he was here,” longtime friend Steve Lopes of Fall River told her.

“He was well loved, and it shows here today,” said Erik Rousseau, SRTA's administrator and the master of ceremonies. He called the event “an amazing tribute.”

"Projects like these don’t happen over night,” Mayor Will Flanagan said.

Flanagan, SRTA's board chairman, said the many partners in the project “understood the need for Fall River to have a modern terminal in their city.”

SRTA, with a total of 28 bus lines, serves 10 SouthCoast communities, with Fall River and New Bedford terminals and Dartmouth, Somerset, Swansea, Westport and Fairhaven among the core communities, Rousseau said.

The terminal was redesigned by Jo Ann Bentley Architects Inc. to include the western wall and basement of the 90-year-old National Grid maintenance building, where 25 to 30 vehicles can park cheaply underground for the day and travel to Providence or Boston on Peter Pan buses.

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Statewide Engineering & Construction Inc., the general contractor, and Architectural Consulting Group Inc., the project manager, completed the work 11 months after breaking ground, and within the budget.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation contributed about $1 million toward the project, and nearly $400,000 in funds came from an agreement after the terminal on South Main Street was taken down for a new courthouse, Rousseau said.

The terminal is close to downtown.

Inside, the large, handicapped-accessible ticketing and waiting area of the high-ceiling, one-story building takes up the bulk of the space.

There is also a conference room, news store/candy shop, police satellite office, restrooms and a separate outdoor entrance for a coffee shop with separate restrooms.

Requests for proposals to set up and run the coffee shop will go out in the coming months. “I think easily by the end of the year they should be up and running,” Rousseau said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and FTA issued a statement from Secretary Ray LaHood.

“President Obama is committed to modernizing our nation’s transportation infrastructure and bringing good transportation choices to more Americans,” LaHood said.

“This investment in the historic Fall River community will provide transit riders with convenient and reliable access to 21st-century transportation services for years to come.”

Officials said they were aware commuters to Fall River, New Bedford, Dartmouth and the other seven communities served by SRTA have waited seven years for Fall River’s new terminal to replace the old trailer.

State legislators offered appreciation both for the terminal and for “Louie” Pettine’s leadership.

State Rep. Pat Haddad, D-Somerset, said Pettine “truly knew what it meant to be regional.” She envisioned him sitting in the back of a room saying to folks in Boston, “Don’t forget the people in the suburbs.”

State Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, said Louis Pettine had an uncanny ability to educate others on the intricacies of public transportation.

“It’s a fitting tribute,” he said.

After Susan Pettine tearfully unveiled the building plaque for the transit station named after her husband, Flanagan, standing next to her said, “Ready to cut the ribbon?”